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Athens Generating Plant

Gas power plant in New York, United States of America. Approximate location 42.2728, -73.8492.

GasNew YorkUnited States of AmericaCO₂ measured

Athens Generating Plant is a 1,221 MW gas power station in New York, United States of America. It is operated by New Athens Generating Company LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 2,917 GWh, it can supply roughly 833k homes. It ranks #511 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2003, it is around 23 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 705,858 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 165k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 40.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

1,221Source-backed capacity
2,917GWh reported / yr
833,457homes powered
705,858t CO₂ / yr (US EPA GHGRP)
2003commissioned (~23 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055405.

Data status

Known data

FacilityAthens Generating Plant WRI
CountryUnited States of America · New York WRI
Coordinates42.2728, -73.8492 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity1,221 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerNew Athens Generating Company LLC WRI
Commissioned2003 WRI
GWh reported / yr2,917 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions705,858 t CO₂/yr measured · US EPA GHGRP

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#511 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#143 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers10.07× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent833,457 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.1°C · HDD 3,498 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 31/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 operating-unit sum (location L100000402122); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,221 MW, Athens Generating Plant is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

705,858 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

165kpassenger cars driven for a year
92khomes' yearly energy use
12 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per US EPA GHGRP (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Reported generation trend

2013: 3,585 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 0 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 0 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 2,917 GWh20194k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by New Athens Generating Company LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.1°Cannual mean temp
3,498heating degree-days (base 18°C)
258cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
69 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -5 °CJF: -4 °CFM: 2 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 19 °CJJ: 22 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 5 °CND: -2 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 42% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 76/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
31/100environmental-severity index
26.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
216 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #143 largest gas power plant of 2165 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 2165 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 789,950 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 42.2728, -73.8492 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Athens Generating Plant?

Athens Generating Plant is a 1,221 MW source-record gas power plant in New York, United States of America, commissioned in 2003.

How much electricity does Athens Generating Plant generate?

Athens Generating Plant generates about 2,917 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Athens Generating Plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 833,457 homes.

Who operates Athens Generating Plant?

Athens Generating Plant is operated by New Athens Generating Company LLC.

How much CO₂ does Athens Generating Plant emit?

Athens Generating Plant has measured emissions of about 705,858 tonnes of CO₂ per year (US EPA GHGRP).

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